Honoring a life

To the editor:

The recent verdict against the person accused of murdering social worker Helen Yolanda Riddle and two other victims has been met with mixed responses.

The friends of Yolanda would like the community to know that Jason Rose is a person she would have treated with compassion. Having come from a background where she was not always treated fairly, Yolanda chose to be a social worker because she had the empathy and heart necessary to stand up for lost and neglected people.

Her memory lives on in her family and the lives of the countless people she helped throughout her career. We chose to celebrate her life and not dwell on how it came to such an abrupt end. Her mentor at Haskell Indian Nations University, Venida Chenault, has established a scholarship program that will enable future social workers to continue Yolanda’s work.

Juanita Marshall, on behalf of The Friends of Yolanda Scholarship Program,

Lawrence